Language/Standard-latvian/Vocabulary/Feelings-and-Emotions

Standard Latvian Vocabulary - Feelings and Emotions

Hi Standard Latvian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about feelings and emotions in Standard Latvian. Being able to express what you feel is very important, especially when you are traveling or living in a foreign country, like Latvia. So, let's get started and expand our vocabulary! Don't forget to practice with native speakers and ask them any questions you may have.

Basic Vocabulary

Let's start with some basic vocabulary.

Standard Latvian	Pronunciation	English
prieks	/prʲeːks/	happiness, joy
skumjš	/skʊmʲʃ/	sadness
dusmas	/dusmas/	anger, rage
bailēs	/baɪleːs/	fear
dusības	/dusiːbas/	despair
vīlies	/viːlʲjes/	disappointment

Here are some examples to help you understand how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Es jūtos priecīgs. (/es juːtos prʲet͡siːks/) (I feel happy.)
• Person 2: Tas ir lieliski! (/tas ɪr lielɪskɪ/) (That's great!)
• Person 1: Viņš ir tik skumjš. (/viɲʃ ɪr tɪk skʊmʲʃ/) (He is so sad.)
• Person 2: Vai vēlies viņam palīdzēt? (/vaɪ viːlʲies viɲam palɪdzeːt/) (Do you want to help him?)
• Person 1: Mani dusmojas viņa uzvedība. (/ma.nɪ dʊsmuo.jas viɲa uzvɛdiːba/) (I am angry at his behavior.)
• Person 2: Viņš ievērojami nepiedodami. (/viɲʃ ɪeʋɛːrojami nɛpiɛdoda.mi/) (He is remarkably unforgivable.)

Advanced Vocabulary

Now that we have learned some basic words, let's move on to some more advanced vocabulary.

Standard Latvian	Pronunciation	English
sajūta	/sa.juːta/	feeling, sensation
apjukums	/apjukums/	confusion
aizkaitinājums	/aizkaɪtɪnaːjʊms/	irritation
nožēla	/noʒeːla/	regret, remorse
aizraušanās	/aizrauʃanaːs/	enthusiasm
pārsteigums	/paːrstɛiɡʊms/	surprise

Here are some examples to help you understand how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Es sajūtu aizkaitinājumu par to, ka viņš nesasauc mani. (/es sajuːtu aizkaɪtɪnaːjʊmu par to, ka viɲʃ nɛsasauʦ mani/) (I feel irritated that he didn't call me.)
• Person 2: Es tevi pilnīgi saprotu. (/es tɛvɪ pilniːgi saprotu/) (I completely understand you.)
• Person 1: Kad es redzēju viņu, mani pārņēma nožēla par to, ka es viņam teicu tādas lietas. (/kad es rɛdzeːju viɲu, mani paːrneːma noʒeːla par to, ka es viɲam te͡icu taːdas lie.tas/) (When I saw him, I felt regret for saying those things to him.)
• Person 2: Bet tu zināji tikai to, kas zināji. (/bɛt tu zɪnaːji tɪkaɪ to, kas zɪnaːji/) (But you only knew what you knew.)
• Person 1: Es jūtos aizrautīgs par šo projektu. (/ɛs juːtos aizrau.tiːks par ʃo projektu/) (I feel enthusiastic about this project.)
• Person 2: Tas ir lieliski! Es esmu tikpat aizrautīgs kā tu. (/tas ɪr lielɪskɪ/ ɛs ɛsmu tɪkpat aizrau.tiːks ka tu/) (That's great! I am just as enthusiastic as you are.)

Idiomatic Expressions

Here are some idiomatic expressions that you can use to express your feelings and emotions:

Standard Latvian	Literal Translation	English Equivalent
man slikta dūša	I have bad taste in my mouth	I don't feel well
man sirds asarās	My heart is in tears	I am sad
smieties līdz asarām	To laugh until tears	To laugh so hard that tears come out
iznīcināt kādas cerības	To destroy one's hopes	To be disappointed
bailes kā pēdējā pusdienā	Fear like in one's last meal	Extreme fear

Here are some examples to help you understand how to use these expressions in context:

• Person 1: Man slikta dūša. (/ma.n slikta duːʃa/) (I don't feel well.)
• Person 2: Vai vēlies, lai es piezvanu ārstam? (/vaɪ viːlʲies, lai ɛs piɛzvanu aːr.stam/) (Do you want me to call the doctor?)
• Person 1: Kad es dzirdēju par viņa nāvi, man sirds asarās. (/kad es dzɪrdeːju par viɲa naːvi, man sirds asaraːs/) (When I heard about his death, I was sad.)
• Person 2: Viņš bija brīnišķīgs cilvēks. (/viɲʃ bija brɪniʃkiːks tsiɫvɛːks/) (He was an amazing person.)
• Person 1: Es esmu tikai smējies līdz asarām. (/ɛs ɛsmu tɪkaj smæːjɪɛs liːdz asaraːm/) (I was just laughing so hard that tears came out.)
• Person 2: Tas bija ļoti jautri. (/tas biʲja ʎoːti jau.tɾi/) (That was really fun.)

Fun Facts

Did you know that Latvians have a unique word for the feeling you get when you bite into a freshly baked rye bread? It's called "rudzu prieks" and it literally means "rye happiness."

Another fun fact is that Latvians have a special celebration for midsummer, called "Jāņi." During this celebration, people stay up all night, make flower wreaths, and drink a traditional beverage made from fermented rye bread called "kvass."

Sources

• Latvian language
• Latvia
• Jāņi

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Other Lessons

• Family
• Days of the Week
• Drinks
• Food
• Count to 10
• Health
• Colors
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Animals